Why No Noble For Mahatma
Saturday, October 08, 2005 Labels: History And Society 2 commentsIsn't it a surprising thing, that Mr. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi for most of us) never received a Nobel Peace Prize.
The Maha(The great)-Atman(Soul) developed, preached and practiced non-violence as a potent weapon against the British Colonists. And this non-violent struggle was mainly responsible for India winning the freedom (its a lie that it was granted to us). His philosophy influenced other freedom movement leaders like Nelson Mandela; African-American rights leaders etc.
In World's fight against Terrorism, Mahatma Gandhi's non-violence can be potent answers. Those who use terrorism as a weapon could realise that much more can be gained for their causes through Mahatma's methods than by violence.
We should place him in the category of Mahatma Budha. We should be utterly grateful that Mahatma Gandhi didn't leave us his dogma in form of a religion or a family clan - which he was in position to do so. His followers would have converted his sound philosophy into an inane dogma and pushed it down the throat of others - in a non non-violent way. That is what fanatical followers of religions do to the noble principles of their religions.
Then why didn't he receive Nobel Prize? It is learnt that he was nominated for the award in 1937,1938, 1939 1and 1948. But some internal petty minded referees chose to stress on some of his eccentricities rather than to his greatness.
Nobel Prize is poorer for this faulty judgement.
I will put my comments in three parts, i.e. who has suffered more by not conferring noble prize on gandhi, can it be given now and relevance of gandhism.
M.K. Gandhi, born in east, educated in west, taught to the world, what wonders, his ever-lasting, ever-relevant, gospel/philosophy of peace and non-violence can do. Today when west is suffering from over-indulgence and extreme-selfishness, many colleges of US (including Harward) has launched courses in "Gandhism". This answers my first part that definitely noble-prize has suffered by not conferring peace-prize on Gandhi.
Then the question arises can it be given now to Gandhi? Answer is definately "NO". If we start giving noble prize to 'names' from the past, than list can be end-less(Aristotle,copernicus,galeleo,gautam etc).Prizes apart from reconnition gives inspiration to youth for inculcating great qualities of personalities on whom a prize is conferred, but dead people can inspire very little motivation. So prizes should not be conferred after death generally (exept gallantary-awards).
In this fast changing, materialistic world, where individualism is overtaking family values, ghandhism philosophy of non-violence and peaceful-coexistence is even more relevance than any the philosophies and discoveries made in the entire civilisation of human race, if we want to make our planet a better place to live. ///// sandeep shukla, mumbai, 4.11.05///
Thanks sandeep. I agree.